Today is a day of remembrance. We remember and honor the men and women of the United States Armed forces who died in service, making the ultimate sacrifice to protect our nation and preserve the freedom and liberty it stands for.
‘Old Glory’ is proudly flown year-round at OWC. We lowered our U.S. flag to half-mast at sunrise and returned the flag to full-mast at noon today in memory of those fallen and with respect to Memorial Day decorum. We take a moment of silence, remembering our fallen.
At 3:00 p.m., we will honor these servicemen and women with a moment of silence and the playing of Taps. I hope you will join us in this National Moment of Remembrance wherever you may be.
Memorial Day has been celebrated since May 1868 when General John Logan proclaimed May 30 as Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day). On that first Memorial Day, flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.
The website www.USMemorialDay.org is a great source of information on this important day and its history. The site tells us that in 1971, Congress passed legislation that changed this day of recognition to instead fall on the last Monday of May. It was effectively made part of a three-day weekend as opposed to a solitary day of remembrance.
Today we witness the people of Ukraine fight to protect their future, freedom, and sovereignty. It is a reminder that things can change in the blink of an eye. Our freedom and democracy require ongoing attentiveness and willingness to acknowledge and honor past sacrifices, and to truly listen and talk with people of different backgrounds and experiences today so the Freedom and Liberty we hold dear in the USA thrives for decades and centuries to come. It is so easy to take things for granted today, but it is something we should never do.
At some point, it is my hope that the 1971 “3-day” legislation will be revoked. Memorial Day shouldn’t be just another three-day weekend or an opportunity to shop a great sale. It should be about acknowledging the sacrifices that brought us here and reflecting on what we need to do to continue honoring those that fought for our freedom and working toward a more perfect Union. I respect all who give remembrance of those fallen and their great sacrifice for us.
While Memorial Day is mainly intended to pay tribute to the U.S. men and women who died during military service, Veterans Day, on November 11, is intended to thank living veterans for their service.
Supporting veterans and active-duty personnel has been something OWC has become increasingly involved in since Desert Storm in the early ‘90s. It is also our great privilege, and OWC is proud to welcome our vets to employment at OWC and glad to facilitate any transition needed in doing so.
The great service our vets have given our country in service continues as they bring their unique skills, loyalty, and maturity into civilian roles. We are extremely fortunate to have these individuals on our team and in our local communities.
I count my lucky stars to have enjoyed such great opportunities in this nation with freedom, liberty, and acceptance of all people. Freedom allows us imagination. We have the liberty to act. We have great diversity enabling new ideas without limit.
This year our flag us was again tended by Mirjana Madzarac, an OWC team member for over two decades and our Sr. Warehouse Manager today. She and her family, of Serbia and Croatia, were refugees of war when they came to the land of opportunity. It is nineteen years ago that we all shared and celebrated her becoming a US Citizen. We are a melting pot built on hard work and sacrifice. She is an amazing team member and part of a diversity core to OWC. I sincerely appreciate all that makes it possible for her and all of us to be here with the opportunities we have today.
Jen Soule, a team member of over 24 years shares again in our Memorial Day flag service. She is proud of what the service her uncles tendered in the Army, Air Force, and Navy have given our country. Another American success story, she started here as a temp doing sales and customer service. Since then, she’s done just about everything there is to do at OWC. It is in the role of OWC president that she continues to power us onward and upwards today.
It isn’t always easy, but the opportunities we have are real. In respect and honor of all the men and women who have given their lives, the responsibility falls upon all of us to ensure their sacrifice is never wasted.
Whatever efforts we undertake to express our sincere thanks and gratitude to all those men and women serving in our Armed Forces today—and those who have served in the past—we can never do enough. It all pales in comparison to what they and their families have sacrificed for all of us. Giving back is the least we can do, and we do so openly, honestly, and with the utmost respect for their service.
On this Memorial Day, and every day, we thank you for taking a moment to offer a gesture of thanks to our men and women serving our nation. There is no gesture too small; something as simple as walking over to a member of our Armed Forces and saying thank you can mean the world. Thank you.
Well written as a tribute to our fallen servicemen & servicewomen! Your comments regarding them is sincerely commendatory.
Our United States of America is so blessed to have men & women protect our way of life, our freedoms and liberties and our constitution.